Uzbekistan

Other Social Affiliations

Other social factors also define the identities and loyalties of
individuals in Uzbekistan and influence their behavior. Often regional and
clan identities play an important role that supersedes specifically ethnic
identification. In the struggle for political control or access to
economic resources, for example, regional alliances often prevail over
ethnic identities. A United States expert has identified five regions--the
Tashkent region, the Fergana Valley, Samarqand and Bukhoro, the northwest
territories, and the southern region--that have played the role of a power
base for individuals who rose to the position of first secretary of the
Communist Party of Uzbekistan. Often clan-based, these regional
allegiances remain important in both the politics and the social structure
of post-Soviet Uzbekistan.